After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Egypt's Sisi turns to soccer to score political goal Though a cynical view holds that Cairo was using the national soccer team as a way to distract the people from their country's challenges, its support for Egypt's team at the Africa Cup of Nations has helped rally Egyptians together. Egypt
Why Israeli opposition head really wanted to join Bibi's government News of the Aqaba summit and the political and diplomatic events surrounding it lead to the inevitable conclusion that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no interest in the two-state vision and a regional peace initiative. Palestine
Israel defense minister: We must coordinate moves with Trump In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman confirmed that he still supports a two-state solution, but one involving population as well as land swaps and as one part of a regional agreement. Palestine
Why are sections disappearing from Egypt's textbooks? Lawyers used textbooks in a case against the Egyptian government; now the books have changed. Saudi Arabia
Iraq seeks to clamp down on gun ownership Regulating private security companies and proposing laws for possession of weapons are part of Iraq’s new strategy to impose order and the rule of law. Iraq
Cairo continues to mediate Libya conflict despite failures Assuming a mediator role between conflicting Libyan parties, Egypt has recently met with both sides over finding a political solution but has yet to make substantial progress. Egypt
Mutual interests break ice between Egypt, Saudi Arabia Although tension has been high between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the past few months, signs of cooperation are emerging over the development of Sinai and other common interests. Saudi Arabia
Will Tunisia finally amend harsh cannabis law? Tunisians, including government officials, have been in favor of amending a harsh law for possession and use of cannabis, but doing so has not been easy. Tunisia
Egypt’s first-ever female governor marches to a different drummer In a move that broke with a long-standing tradition of appointing retired military or police officers as governors, Nadia Abdu was named governor of Egypt's Beheira governorate. Egypt
Will new travel ban impede Iran-US athletic competition? Champion American wrestler Jordan Burroughs says he feels nothing but love from Iranians but “obviously, Donald Trump sees Iran a little different than I see Iran.” United States
What's really happening in Syria's al-Bab? Everyone wants to know what's coming next in Syria — but it is hard enough to figure out what is going on right now. Syria
Meet the powerful Iranian cleric looking to unseat Rouhani Ebrahim Raisi emerges as the conservative consensus candidate in Iran’s upcoming May presidential elections. Iran
